MEGACEROS HIBERNICUS. 45] 
the Megaceros and those of the large fossil Bovine quad- 
rupeds. The differences may seem slight, but they are 
constant and serve to distinguish the species: they deter- 
mine, for example, the fossil fragment of the upper jaw 
with the molar teeth from Kent’s Hole, now in the British 
Museum, which fragment has been reduced to its present 
form by the teeth of the extinct Hyena, to belong to the 
Cervus megaceros, and thus establish the high antiquity of 
that extinct species. 
The great proportional size of the cervical vertebrae of 
the Megaceros has been already noticed: the atlas appears 
like a second occipital bone, but exceeds that cranial verte- 
bra im breadth. ‘The extraordinary development of the 
muscular part of the neck is indicated by the massive pro- 
cesses, especially of the five vertebrae which follow the 
axis; and the thick full neck, which is so characteristic a 
feature in the Stag, must have been still more remarkable 
in the living Megaceros. The cervical vertebrae of the 
female were one third smaller than in the male. The 
dorsal vertebrae are thirteen in number, and the anterior 
ones are remarkable for the length of the spinous processes 
(fig. 182, d) which gave attachment to the elastic ligaments 
supporting the head: those of the third, fourth, and fifth 
dorsals rise to a foot in height. 
The six lumbar, the sacral, and the caudal vertebra, 
closely agree with those parts in the existing Deer. The 
sternum consists of seven bones, including the xiphoid; they 
become broader and flatter to the sixth, which measures 
five inches across. 
The bones of the extremities more resemble those of the 
Rein-deer than the Elk, but are relatively stronger im pro- 
portion to their length than in any existing species of 
Cereus. In fig. 182, se is the scapula or blade-bone; 4, 
GG2 
